Theatre with a side of life
Broadway in Chicago presents, by special arrangement with Rick Riordan and the Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency, THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL. A kid mad at a parent for not being around sounds familiar. The absence attributed to being a god isn’t that common. Author Rick Riordan cleverly blended Greek mythology with contemporary teenage angst. Riordan’s ...
Steppenwolf Theatre presents the World Premiere of LA RUTA. Mexican women are being hunted in their own home country. Over the last few decades, it’s been reported 1,400 have been killed and thousands more are still missing. Women disappear. If they reappear, they have been raped, mutilated, dismembered, killed. Thousands remain missing. These ‘lost’ women are ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents a vibrantly reimagined A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Director Joe Dowling puts a fanciful spin on this classic Shakespearean comedy. Dowling skillfully directs the primary comedy-drama of the lovers’ quadrangle. Helena (played by Cristina Panfilio) loves Demetrius (played by Eric Schabla). Demetrius loves Hermia (played by Melisa Soledad Pereyra). Hermia loves Lysander (played by Tyrone Phillips). ...
Chase presents CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE. Chicago can celebrate the HOLIDAZE inside. Chicago Theatre has been transformed into a kids' vision of Christmas delights. Scenic Designer Jon Craine, along with costume designs by Cirque Productions, stuff the stage with candy-cane-coated delights. Dancing elves, prancing reindeers, and flipping gingerbread provide a festive spectacle. The HOLIDAZE is a shiny, ...
The Second City presents its 107th Mainstage Revue, ALGORITHM NATION Or STATIC QUO. The new mainstage show goes aggressive and dark. The opening bit has Jeffrey Murdoch in a hostage situation. He’s in his underwear with his nipples taped. He’s being threatened and tortured. The vibe isn’t playful. It’s tense. Then, the entire troupe is onstage ...
Goodman Theatre presents SANTALAND DIARIES. I’m a huge fan of David Sedaris. He is an exceptional satirist. His storytelling is vivid and personal. He looks at ordinary things in an extraordinary manner. And he is hilarious! In SANTALAND DIARIES, Sedaris chronicles his work experience as an elf at Macy’s. He takes us behind the scenes to the ...
Yippee Productions LLC presents Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas: A Die Hard Musical Parody. ATTENTION fans of Die Hard & 80s pop culture: Christmas came early this year! The creative team of Michael Shepherd Jordan (books & lyrics), Stephanie McCullough (music) and Alex Garday (book & lyrics) have lampooned the 1988 cult classic. The original premise of cop takes ...
Broken Nose Theatre presents the World premiere of PLAINCLOTHES. Playwright and co-director Spenser Davis introduces us to the gritty underbelly of a Chicago department store. He takes us behind the camera to meet the surveillance team. Most shoppers are oblivious to the invisible people watching them. Holed up in a drab makeshift office, a security detail continuously ...
The House Theatre of Chicago presents NUTCRACKER. This is my sixth time (2016, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010) seeing House’s imaginative interpretation of E.T.A. Hoffman’s story about a nutcracker. The creative team of Jake Minton(playwright/lyricist) , Phillip Klapperich(playwright), Kevin O’Donnell (composer) and Tommy Rapley (director/choreographer)spun the classic into a playful, magical and wonderfully heartfelt Chicago holiday tradition. The story is about ...
Lookingglass Theatre presents the world premiere of THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER. Director Mary Zimmerman creates magic on stage this holiday season. Zimmerman tells Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of a toy soldier. A one legged soldier (played by Alex Stein) is the target of a series of unfortunate events. Despite his continual mishaps, he does fall in ...